Renewed Beginnings
by Chrono Cross
Summary: Regret and remorse are leading him into a downward spiral, while fighting has become a never ending struggle but when offered a chance to change it all, Sora must choose his path and protect what is most important. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

Don't own.

I love Kingdom Hearts, and I adore the time-travel plotline, so I decided to try adding them together and see what I got.

There were so many statements that could be made about Darkness, some out of fear, others out of wonder; but a common point in the threads of the expressions were they all held the knowledge that there was an unknown. The unknown, that in the eyes of the beholder, could be anything from an optimist's heaven, to a pessimist's hell.

The Darkness was so different from the Light. The Light held a place of honor, a wondrous glory that many believed would always be the way of the just and righteous… but that wasn't right, the Light was there, and though it held more comfort to it than the Darkness, it didn't state that it was any less conniving or cruel than it's counterpart; if anything, the Light could be more so. Unlike the Darkness, which all are wary of, the Light has the ability to lull its target into a false security before it leads them astray. Like the moon in dark sky is known to be a guiding light in the night, but if you become too entranced by it, it will lead to an illusion that will leave you lost.

Sora sighed at his cynical philosophies, but didn't bother to reprimand himself for theorizing them. He lifted his head slightly from its resting place on his knees, turning it to stare out into the war torn battleground that had once been a beautiful city filled with lights and life. He flinched at the sight of the buildings that had once been homes and stores now shown in shambles around him, the brick and plaster forcibly taken away, leaving severely twisted metal skeletons; Sora didn't even bother to glance down at the streets, knowing that the only thing he'd see were mangled bodies of opponents or innocents who had gotten caught in the crossfire. A testament to the conflict that had taken place, even when the violence finally moved on to a new world, would the original inhabitants be able to rebuild their ruined home?

'Doubtfully…' it was a scoffing thought, one that Sora had wished he could've taken back as he absentmindedly pulled at his black cloak. This world had been broken, and it would probably never recover from this; he knew this, but still… was the brighter side, the optimistic view that he'd had since the start of his little quest, gone? Or was it merely buried under the harsh losses that had come to be his reality? He couldn't tell anymore, or was it simply that he didn't want to dive into his being and dredge up that side of him that would only get him killed now.

Sora's eye twitched a little before he let out a small groan and shoved his face into his hands. War had destroyed the once happy island boy; so many years of fighting had hardened his heart and terrorized his mind, "I really have to stop thinking…"

'You know talking to yourself is supposedly a sign you're going crazy?' The voice was soft, but held a small echo that ran through his head like a ripple in a pond. Sora choked a little in surprise, although didn't bother to move, knowing that there would be no physical form to turn to.

"Yes, but discussing one's life with their weapon isn't exactly a sane proposition either…" Cerulean eyes flicked to the Ultima Weapon that hardly ever left his grip. It was a marvel all it's own, one of the greatest creations that could ever be synthesized; blue mixing harmoniously with gold and white, intricate patterns drawn with the strong but thread-like wires that held the large key together.

'Touché…' It seemed so ludicrous, and Sora himself didn't know when it had started; he began talking to himself sometime after he had lost his closest friends, he remembered such occurrences quite clearly, but somewhere between his monologues and fighting for his life he had felt an influence. Shimmering in his mind like a little light in his newfound hell. He ignored it at first, feeling he didn't need any more proof that he was gradually losing his already teetering grip on reality. However, it seemed that the more he pushed for the presence to leave, the more it pressed back. When he had finally lost his will to smother and deny it's existence, he had found something that he hadn't even believed was a possibility. It had taken months for him to buy the story, and even more time to trust that it was, in fact even real, not a hallucination created by the loneliness that dwelled in his mind.

His keyblade was alive, it had a soul that was just as capable of cognitive thought and conversation as the next person, but unlike people, it wouldn't leave him behind. With that, the cinnamon haired youth had found a small anchor that could hold him in this life.

His introspection was cut short and quickly dropped as he sensed unbridled hostility, bringing himself into an upright position, Ultima Weapon firmly in his grasp, Sora searched for the source. It hadn't taken long; the figure launched itself out of the rubble, blade raised in the air beginning its vertical descent towards him, an added battle cry falling from the assailant's lips.

Cobalt irises flashed in distain, 'Amateur.'

Sora didn't even hesitate, effortlessly sidestepping the slash that would have taken him apart; the battle veteran swiftly forced the razor-like spikes of the Ultima Weapon through the other's unprotected neck. Funny how the "key to save worlds" with the ability to return Heartless to Kingdom Hearts was now nothing more than a glorified weapon. The blood gushed forth in a torrent, flowing down the collar as the adversary fell.

Gaze dropping to the new corpse Sora frowned, 'This fighter…'

Biting his lip in apprehension he reached out a gloved hand, gently rotating the deceased to get a better look at the other. Swallowing became infinitely more difficult as the spiky-haired keyblade wielder pulled away as if burned. He had seen many and done many things that he had wished he hadn't, regretted so many incidents, but none as badly as this. His challenger hadn't been anything more than a child, maybe fifteen at best, a rusted and blunt sword in the boy's small hands.

Had it not been hostility that had sent this poor soul at him but desperation? There were times when he encountered survivors who would attempt to assault him for things such as food and water. It was clear to him now that this child wasn't a fighter in any sense of the word.

In his shaken state the once hero didn't noticed the encroaching shadow, but he was aware of the shrill screams that were telling him to, 'move dumbass!' His body reacted to the cries, but Sora knew that it had be a moment too late to avoid. The pain was intense as the edge of the weapon protruded from his stomach, and it only increased as the attacker drew back their arm.

"The Great Keyblade Master and Hero of Kingdom Hearts… not very much of a challenge, apparently the rumors have been grossly exaggerated." Sora pivoted, his free hand going to clutch his injured abdomen, wincing at the feeling of his blood soaked clothing. He found himself looking a man that was probably in his late-twenties, dark purple hair pulled in a low ponytail, and emerald eyes that glittered in contempt, "I mean really, you off a kid and you just go to pieces? Such a weak mind for someone who was supposedly able to kill thousands."

"I did kill thousands… of heartless and nobodies, people are different. Heartless are darkness in the hearts, all that's left of them is instinct and desire, similarly Nobodies have no feelings to speak of. Humans have the ability to choose, plus the morals to change their decisions, and they have people who care for them…" His voice, which had started as a strong whisper dropped to a barely audible sound by the end, memories invading his mind.

"People who care for them? What are you, a sentimental…ist?" It was said with the intention of mocking him, but the finishing syllable had been delayed, the scorner distracted. Sora bit the inside of his cheek, his healing spell had already fixed the internal damage and knit the muscles back together, all that was left was to repair the skin. The man's gaze had turned into a glare as he let out a barking laugh, "The conversation was a diversion so you could revive yourself? Clever, seems the gossip about you wasn't all bull after all. Guess I'll have to get a bit more serious then."

The figure then disappeared from the keyblade-user's line of vision. Sora tensed, moving his open hand away from his mostly restored stomach, Fenrir coming instantly to his outstretched palm, the familiar weight comforting his fried nerves.

"Two keyblades, seems you have some surprises yet boy," Sora's eyes widened as he felt the breath on his neck, instantly lashing out with Fenrir as he spun. The blade ripping through nothing but empty space.

"My my, someone seems to be a little slow to react, how have you survived this far?"

The dual keyblade wielder balked, taking a shaky breath as he forced himself to twist around once more to see a flash of violet before it vanished, "Why are you fighting me?"

"Why? Simple boy, I'm a Grim Reaper, and you're on my list," The words were coming from all directions. Sora ground his teeth in frustration; this man was claiming to be death?

'More like another hunter who wants some glory for destroying one of the last Wielders of the Key of Destiny.' He sighed and snuffed out his irritation, the man might have been an egomaniac, but he was still very skilled, disruptions weren't allowed anymore.

Sora rapidly reformed into a defensive stance, continually checking his surroundings for a sighting of his newest challenger. The first cut had been easily parried, the Ultima Weapon swinging out to meet the older male, while his more offensive blade pushed forth and embedded itself in the other's side.

The forest eyed man pulled himself away, fearfully retreating back while grasping his gash. Sora frowned, and slowly released his protective form, "I'll allow you to live if you leave now."

A gaze snapped to him, before the egotistic warrior gave a few enthusiastic nods and proceeded to gradually back away. Sapphire eyes watched for a couple of minutes as the cowardly man walked, readily turning away when there was a safe distance between them.

'No! Behind you idiot!' the Ultima blade was yelling, desperately, and Sora whirled back to the area his watch previously had been. It was fast, too much so for him to guard from when the blows were dealt; his tan skin being tarnished by the crimson red. The auburn haired youth gagged as blood and bile rose to his throat.

"You sorry little sap, did you think that I would actually leave without carrying out my deed?" the young keyblade wielder let out an agonized cry as a foot connected painfully with his ribs, the force slamming him into a nearby pile of rubble.

Sora sucked in a breath before glaring at the treacherous man, the two powerful keyblades singing in rage, "I gave you a chance to live."

Laughter echoed throughout the area, "And what? Now you're going to kill me? When you're so injured that you probably won't live long enough to use your voodoo sorcery to heal your sorry ass?"

A smirk reigned over the keyblade master's face as he pulled forth his magic, "Final Arcana: Apocalypse"

The cackling had stopped, replaced by screams as the spell took affect. The circle of the past eras appeared under the betraying snake's feet, the ancient runes revolving around the shapes that flickered inside. Slowly the movement ceased as symbols locked into their positions; the destructive force gathered was released and the ring exploded in a spectacle of lights.

Sora vaguely noticed that the terrified shrieks had stopped, the spell easily vaporized the body. It didn't really matter anymore, his world was darkening, and gradually, his eyes closed.

'Wake up! Wake up you idiot!' Cerulean eyes fluttered open, dazed and dull. Sora blinked, awareness returning.

"Where am I?" His fingers dug into sand, the roar of the ocean drumming in his ears.

'You're dead genius.' The youth jumped at the answer, turning to face a girl…? Sora stared at the teen in front of him, platinum blonde hair falling down her shoulder, while fierce golden eyes glared a hole into him.

There was a lack of coherency in the keyblade wielder's brain that made everything blurry and unrecognizable, "Uh… who are you?"

A twitch in the unknown female's eyebrow was his only warning before a fist gravitated to slam the top of his head, "OWWW… what was that for?"

'Really Sora, I've only been with you for five years, constantly saving your ass. And how do you repay me? You die! Not only that, you insult me when you're dead!' The rant was strangely random, but as it continued Sora found that the fog in his mind was dissipating. With a renewed sense of understanding, the hero found the tirade somewhat familiar.

"Ultima?" The shouting stopped, and once again he found himself on the receiving end of the leering golden eyes.

'No really? Took ya a while didn't it Sora?' The tone was still full of unexpressed rage as the spirit flicked her platinum hair away from her face, 'I really don't get you ya know? You had the power and then you pushed it all into that destructive spell, why didn't you heal stupid!'

"You know that cure magicks take time to work and concentration, something that I didn't have anyway. The lacerations were much too deep, not to mention the several vitals he hit. If I tried it I'd have to pick the worse injuries to repair first, and while I was working on one of them the others would have killed me." Sora explained calmly, while scanning his surroundings. It was Destiny Island, the home he hadn't seen in many years, "Where are we?"

What ever forgiveness he may have gained in the past was lost instantly with the inquiry as another hit was presented onto his skull, 'Again, you're dead genius. This is a representation of where you feel most comfortable.'

"Well, this sucks… if I'm dead, where are all my friends? They were killed in the war too. Where are Donald and Goofy… and Riku and Kairi?" He looked at the physical being of the keyblade, "And why are you here? I thought you couldn't die…" Confusion was running amuck in his mentality, making questions fall in rapid succession from his mouth.

'Well… you weren't really supposed to die; it kinda threw everything into chaos when you did. I'm here to offer you… a choice.' Sora inspected the other, finding her to be uncomfortable didn't give him a feeling of satisfaction, if anything it scared him. The Ultima Weapon had always been confident when speaking, never so uncertain like now.

"A choice?" There was a bizarre mix of hope and dread in the inquiry, the chocolate haired lad gulping down all his hesitation.

A nod followed his question, a solemn expression on the soul's face, 'The powers that be have given you the options of either dying, or returning to the beginning where you will have to find the catalyst of this war and remove it from the equation.'

"Return to the beginning? What do you mean by that?" It wasn't even a murmur, it was a barely detectible string of noises, but it seemed he didn't have to repeat himself as Ultima seemed to understand him.

'You know the beginning better than I do Sora; I'm only here to offer the alternative.' The statement was true, he knew it was, but that would mean that it would start again, the battles and struggles, 'You don't have to answer right awa-'

"No, I'll do it. There are so many things that I've regretted doing, and not being able to change. This time, I'm not going to fail, I'll protect them all." It was said with such determination and conviction that it was obvious that there would be no second guessing.

'That's why I chose you as my wielder, that single-minded resolve, I will continue to be your right-hand, no matter what is changed.' Sora grinned at the specter that was now smiling softly in return, 'Now, the choice has been made, and the road has been opened. It's time to step forward Key of Destiny.'

With a single look back at Death's depiction of his home he walked ahead into the shimmering seas.

The waves crashed against his feet, the sound lulling him into consciousness. It was so nice, so peaceful and tranquil. Sora opened his eyes dazedly, to find a pair of indigo staring at him.

Pushing himself quickly to his knees he sought out for his keyblade, only to find it wasn't there, 'Shit!'

"Sora? What's wrong, you have a nightmare or something?" The boy's panic drained at the sound of the light and feminine soprano. He lifted his head to stare at the fourteen-year-old maiden, her dark ginger hair swaying in the slight breeze.

"…Kairi…?" His voice sounded alien, even to him, full of disbelief and no higher than a breathy whisper.

Kairi leaned forward, teasing air replaced with concern, "Sora, are you okay?" A hand came up to pet the top of his head. His body warred against his mind and leaned into the comforting gesture.

"Sora?" He opened his eyes –when had he closed them? – in regards to his childhood friend, "Are you okay?"

The question brought him back, and he reluctantly pulled away from the princess, "Ummm… Yeah, just had a… very realistic nightmare."

"Really? What was it ab-"

Kairi was cut off by a familiar self-confident tenor, "So here you two are, guess I'm the only one working on the raft then."

The duo turned to meet the exasperated air of their older friend as he walked towards them, a log thrown over his shoulder.

'Riku…' Sora performed the same once-over unto the silver-haired teen as he had with the girl beside him. A grin formed easily on his face as Sora broke into giggles, which quickly morphed into a hysterical laughter.

He could feel the other two openly gaping at him, but he couldn't stop. All the grief and self-hatred was falling, the anger and numbness were melting away. Sora felt the tears cascading down as he slowly gained control over his body.

"Sora?" It was a stereo effect, wiping his eyes the boy looked at the twin expressions of concern.

Giving a bright smile, Sora pulled his two friends into a strong hug, "I've missed you guys."

He didn't answer any of the queries voiced by the two, just snuggled deeper into them and sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

**It has been a long time since I've posted anything recent, but this is it! A new chapter, yay me!**

**I would like to thank Tabi Caracu for encouraging me to keep this story going. Truthfully without your kind words I probably wouldn't have invested anymore time in this story.**

**Standard Disclaimer: I will say the characters in this story are not mine, which is a damn shame really.  
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><p>It was a new beginning, the secluded island where the kids all gathered holding a magical and soothing aura. Sora was seated on the beach waving off his best friends concerned questions with a genuine grin, one that felt both natural and not. How long had it been since he had been able to hold such happiness in his heart? His friends, all of them, were alive. Even if most of them didn't know him, the blessing of their continued existence far outweighed such a small loss.<p>

Still, there was so much to consider now and while he wished to continue to bask in the lively and innocent atmosphere, Sora was more than aware of the coming darkness. The daylight hours were something that had become foggy and unclear, but this night was something he'd never forgotten, for all the years that had passed, and all the horror that followed; this had been his beginning. He needed a plan, there was no way he could stop the door from opening. Even with all his skill and knowledge he'd never been able to find out how the humanoid heartless shade of Xehanort had been able to unlock Destiny Island, and without knowing how he did it, stopping it would be nearly impossible.

There were other factors to consider as well, did he want to stay as close to his previous timeline as possible? Just continue down the beaten path until the time came to deal with whatever the source of the future war came out to play? Or did he change what he remembered occurring? If he could just -

"Sora! Are you even listening to us?" Sora started, eyes immediately meeting Kairi's irritated and worried face, "Are you really okay? Are you stressed because of the rush to get the raft together? Maybe you should just stay here until Riku and I finish."

Sora stared at her for a moment, "No, I really am fine. Just a bit disorientated from waking up so fast."

Kairi's face was still set in stubborn concern, and it seemed that his impromptu lie hadn't reassured her in the least, so he turned to look at Riku, hoping for some support against the girl's mothering.

"Don't look at me, I agree with Kairi on this. You're still white as a ghost; I don't want you helping on the raft just to find you passed out somewhere or fell down a hole you didn't see." The platinum haired youth shrugged his shoulders in a show of nonchalance, but there was the same anxiety in his eyes as the young princess of heart.

Sora didn't know what to do, while the care his friends had towards him was heart-warming, it also made him a bit angry. Yes, he may have technically been the youngest in the trio (Riku being almost a year older, and Kairi outstripping him by a few months), but he hadn't been babied in such a way in years! So he was still in shock about what had happened, he'd dealt with worse before.

He opened his mouth to argue, but Riku beat him to it, "You're staying here Sora," the tone was authoritative and Sora instantly recalled a memory he knew wasn't his, of a young male with dark hair and laughing blue eyes, dressed in a tight shirt and loose pants, holding a bulky key blade with practiced ease.

He shook his head at the not-memory, had that been one of Roxas'? No, he was almost positive his nobody had never met that man before, then whose remembrance was that? A leftover from Kairi? Not quite the right fit either, who did that leave then?

Sora frowned, he felt as though he was forgetting something and he knew, without a doubt that it was important.

Riku had seen his negative reaction, and must taken it as mutinous because he sighed and put a hand on the cinnamon spikes on Sora's head, ruffling it with affection, "Really, we're just worried about you. I know you think you'll be in for a hard time for sitting out in the final supply gathering, but Kairi and I would just feel better if you stayed here and waited for us to get back. Do this for us ok?"

Sora wanted to complain, but his friend had pulled the ultimate emotional manipulation in his askance. A lovely mixture of guilt and empathy, enough to make the physically youngest of the three nod his head in reluctant agreement.

"Good, we've just got a few more things to collect and everything will be good to go. It shouldn't take us very long, okay?" Riku gave a little smirk, nodding to Kairi as she beamed in relief.

Sora watched them walk off the beach, making lists before splitting up to get the items needed for the grand adventure. Well…at least now he had time to think.

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><p>Riku and Kairi had discussed the jobs each one would do to complete their little raft, the young man deciding to take on jobs that required more physical elements, such as finding the last few logs they needed, catching the fish, and collecting the mushrooms that tended to grow in hard to reach places; Kairi was left with getting fresh water, finding coconuts they could pack up, and looking for rope and cloth.<p>

It had been a good way to distribute the labor, and Riku was happy to say that the logs and the fish had been taken care of with ease. The mushrooms he had collected thus far were sufficient but even still young sea-green eyes continued to scout for more. Never let it be said that some teens didn't err on the said of caution… well, ignoring the potentially dangerous rafting endeavor.

After looking through various nooks and crannies the only viable place left for mushrooms, which liked dark and wet spaces, to grow on a tropical island would be in the Secret Place. Riku exhaled loudly, it had been a long while since anyone had bothered to go in there. Quite honestly he hadn't been down there in years because the strange and misplaced door always had a tendency to make him feel uncomfortable. But this was for the voyage, and if going into the little cave with the odd door was the last step in being prepared, then Riku wasn't going to stop just because he felt uneasy. Taking a deep breath as he walked the path to the small opening the silver-haired lad entered showing no hesitation.

It looked the same as always, the rock surfaces covered with children's etchings of imaginary beasts and fantastical places…and then there was that damn door, all mahogany colored and lined with gold. Riku pulled his eyes away from it and gazed around, searching for his original goal. The mushrooms were in the corner, almost hidden behind a large tree root, blowing out a bit of air Riku went over and began collecting the little edible fungi.

In the middle of his task a shuffling noise made him spin around, and in what had been an empty space when he'd entered the cave, there was now a hooded figure.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Riku pulled himself into a defensive position, watching the intruder with wary eyes.

"I've come to see the door to this world." The voice was deep and masculine even as the words made no real sense, "This world has been connected."

"What are you saying? Speak sense!" Riku was starting to panic, this man was crazy.

"Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed." The figure continued on not acknowledging the young boy's words at all.

"Knock it off, you're freaking me out!" Full-blown dread, the youth began to edge away toward the Secret Place's only exit.

The hooded person turned towards him, face so completely shadowed by the cloak that all Riku could see was a dark abyss, "You do not yet know what lies beyond the door. There is so very much to learn, you understand so little."

And amid the alarm and fear there came a spark of intrigue and anger, this man was saying he was from another world, but more pressing than that, this crazy bastard was calling him stupid!

"I can learn all I need once I leave this island, don't insult me you crazy jerk!" Riku shouted in a bout of childish recklessness.

"A meaningless effort, one who knows nothing can understand nothing." The condescension in that sentence was almost palpable in its intensity.

Riku wanted to argue, but the howling sounds of the waterfall mixed with the whistling sound of the breeze distracted him, made it so he took his eyes off the male in front of him. The second he turned back, the robed man was gone, as though he had never been there in the first place.

Feeling sufficiently spooked the teen grabbed the last of the mushrooms and quickly ran out of the small and dark space. Once in the sunlight Riku allowed himself to relax a fraction. He didn't understand what had happened, and that was probably the most frightening part. Pushing the anxiety away as he saw Kairi grinning and holding her successful acquisitions, he allowed himself a shallow smile before presenting his own. They were finished with the raft preparations, all that was left was to head home and wait for tomorrow.

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><p>Sora didn't like sitting out in the open, not anymore, one thing war tends to do is make open spaces very nerve-wracking. So in spite of his promise not to move, he quickly shimmied into the corner between the sea shack and the rising platform near the beach. With his back firmly settled against two solid walls he pulled himself into a ball, calming his mind enough to think.<p>

Last time, the island had been taken he'd been too late to help his friends, Riku had been taken by the darkness, and Kairi had been whisked away by the door's violent opening. This time he would have to be the first here, because while the idea of knowing what was coming was tempting, Sora would never be able to forgive himself for allowing his best friends to go through the hardships the original timeline provided. Who knows, things might be so much better if Riku had known he was a keyblade wielder before Maleficent's poisoned words and the darkness' tainting touch.

So he would sneak back before the storm hit, and completely block the entrance to the Secret Place, hopefully that would stop Kairi from getting to the door. Maybe run into Riku when he made it to the island, stop whatever insanity had made him accept that the darkness was a great way to leave the world he'd been born in.

Well, it wasn't much of a plan, but he'd never really been able to get the hang of long-term strategy. Sora usually stuck to winging it, because plans usually weren't adaptable enough for all the weird shit that went on in his life.

So embroiled in his thoughts Sora didn't notice his friends until they were literally right in front of his face. One minute nothing but the sand and sea in front of him, next thing he knows a pair of teal eyes staring at him with worry.

"Riku!" Sora squeaked embarrassingly, "Do not just pop up on me!"

The older boy didn't seem to have reacted to Sora's little rant, he was still watching the spiky-haired boy with rapt attention as he spoke, "I didn't, Kairi and I did call you, but you didn't respond at all, kind of creepy. It's getting late, and we need to start heading back so come on."

Riku pulled himself upright and held out his hand to help Sora out of his fetal position. Sora took the offered assistance and stumbled , seems his legs had gone numb sometime during his thought coma…bummer.

His friend caught him without preamble and all he could think was that he should apologize for the bout of clumsiness, which upon doing so he was treated to another concerned frown and an arm around his shoulders as he was led to the dock and his own little dinghy. Sora knew his friends were watching him the entire ride home, they even walked him to his house! It was a blend of sweet and irritating that the time traveling keyblade master found most contrary.

He waved the duo off as they separated, waiting a while after they were out of sight before calling a quick lie out to his mother (his mother! Wasn't that a trip, he hadn't seen her since he had been called away at sixteen), informing her that he was heading to a friend's home and that he wouldn't be back until late. He didn't wait for the reply, just sprinted back towards his wooden boat. The sun was already starting to set, and the ominous clouds he remembered from the first time were starting to roll in. Sora wanted to make sure he had enough time to do what was needed before all hell broke loose.

Rowing back to the island without the choppy storm waves was a definite plus, the last thing Sora needed was to have to fight the currents. After tying the vessel to the docks he headed right to the entrance to the Secret Place. The once Chosen of the Keyblade, and master of the arcane arts took a deep breath, to completely block the little cave Sora would have to use magic. He called on his power, long ago had he mastered the art of spells without a focus, and released a miniature quake at the rock formation. The land rumbled, the shaking increasing gradually until the opening collapsed on itself, leaving only rubble in its wake.

Cerulean eyes cataloged the success with triumph, the biggest item on his agenda done Sora turned to head to the little paopu island. His steps faltered as his vision doubled.

"Wha-what's…" Sora fell to his knees, hand going to the large tree roots to keep him upright as exhaustion slamming into him. What was this? He'd been fine a few seconds ago before-

"It was Quake, damn it all," The time traveler couldn't help but curse his idiocy, his body wasn't used to channeling magic anymore. Quake wasn't anything more than third tier level spell, along the same power of Firaga or Thundaga; but to a person who had never used magic before… Sora let out a self-deprecating laugh, to someone who never used magic before it was probably almost equivalent to using one of the Final Arcana.

For the love of Pudge, the weather fish, did nothing ever go like he wanted? Now, barely able to even pick up his feet Sora could see the storm was already underway. The skies flashed as lightning spilt the clouds as the wind picked up. He could even see the shadows that were beginning to shift in unnatural ways, a prelude to the heartless forming, and he was practically helpless. Brilliant, he wondered what it would say on his tombstone, if he actually got one. Perhaps something like, "Here lies Sora, he made one stupid decision and doomed the worlds."

Yeah, that'd be great, nothing like good, old-fashioned, morbid death talks to make his day. He was so screwed.

"Sora!"

The brunette's head snapped up at the voice of his oldest friend, "Riku? Why are you here?"

Seriously? Was he this early the first time?

"Why am I here? Why are you here? You look ready to fall over!" The silver haired boy's voice had gone up an octave or so as he continued speaking, a slight hysterical note coming to rest near the end.

Sora flinched, "But the raft-"

He was quickly cut off, "The raft is important Sora, but not so vital that you should come out here sick to get to it! Come on, we should find shelter, 'cause it looks like the Secret Place isn't a viable option anymore. No way we're going to be able to get back to the mainland with the weather like this."

He finished by pulling one of Sora's arms over his shoulders, letting the boy lean on him as they started walking towards the seaside shack, the closest safe haven. Riku panted as he practically dragged his friend with him, the storm was getting worse and they didn't have time for anything else.

"Riku move!" Sora's tone was frantic as he pushed the other to the side, falling into the sand in the process as a shadow came lunging in the space they used to be, claws in ready position to tear at flesh and bone.

Sora couldn't levy himself up fast enough, the Heartless was already instinctually going after what it saw as pre-weakened prey. He clamped his eyes shut as it barreled toward him, waiting for the pain. Only nothing came, cautiously Sora peered out to see Riku in front of him, the Kingdom Key in hand.

The new keyblade wielder looked confused, but determined as he held the only weapon against the heartless in front of him, "Sora, you ok?"

Sora gave a nod when the older boy glanced in his direction before going through the laborious process of hoisting himself back up to his feet, "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."

A crunch of sand behind them had Riku on the offensive, spinning with weapon in hand to deal with the newest threat. He stopped at the realization that the figure behind them was none other than Kairi. The young princess looked terrified, her eyes large and watery, as she trembled.

"The door's been opened…" her voice was a slow monotone, a direct contrast to her appearance, "There's nothing anyone can do… not now."

"Kairi? What are you talking about? Know what, never mind, we have to get out of here before those…things come back, come on."

Riku took to leading quite well in Sora's opinion. The keyblade had vanished back into the heart of it's chosen master, and in place of it Riku grabbed both Sora and Kairi's hands in his, intent on getting them somewhere safe. If only he knew that there was nowhere to hide, there wasn't a place on this world that wasn't infested by now.

He pulled them into the shack and up the stairs, maybe hoping that higher ground would give them an advantage. Opening the door Riku stopped.

"Riku?" Sora's whisper was loud to his own ears, "Why did we stop?"

Following the taller boy's eyes Sora saw what had made his friend pause. The dark nexus eclipsing the sky, proof that the world was almost completely devoured. Riku's hands tightened their grip, he wasn't going to risk losing them in this hell. And then he saw it, on the little plot of land where the paopu tree stood was the robed man, upright amid the chaos.

"It's him! That man did this!" Rage was all Riku could feel, this monster was the one who destroyed his home; his, Sora's and Kairi's.

Sora stared at the cloaked figure, the bodiless form of Xehanort. How had he forgotten the creature, more darkness than man, had appeared in the cave before the door was opened? Was he really so forgetful?

And then the thoughts left him as Riku had released both him and Kairi to attack, anger and hatred clouding his mind.

"Riku don't!" Sora clutched Kairi's hand, the girl still in a dazed trance, following his wayward comrade into the fire.

Riku's attack struck air, the man was gone. A dark portal opened in front of him, and Sora could only look in horror as the Darkside showed itself at last. It's large frame towering over the three children as it stared at them with nothing but hunger. It reached for them, and Sora took a defensive stance. Riku reacted to the threat with force, slamming the large key-shaped blade into the monster's hand.

It growled in pain and rage, moving to swipe at the reckless child, but Sora was faster. Ultima sang in his grip, as he slashed down at the offending appendage, keeping it from reaching Riku.

And then the horrible shadow howled and Sora felt the wind pick up, pulling the island to shreds around them. The tornado force pulled the three friends off their feet, and Sora quickly grabbed at Riku and Kairi's hands. He couldn't lose them!

They were pulled into the thundering sky, and for Sora, everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>And there we go, chapter 2 is up and about. It took me forever to write this, and I'm really aware that it probably isn't awesome work. I'm not much of a writer so any critiques are welcome. I will say that while reviewing isn't necessary, it does encourage me to write, so if it isn't too much trouble just give me a few kind words when you have the time.<strong>

**Thank you.  
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